The Explorers tested their skills and explored a possible career at the 14th Annual Law Enforcement Exploring Day Conference.

The City of Warren Law Enforcement Explorer Post 312 competed with Explorers from New York – including posts affiliated with the Buffalo, Cheektowaga, and Tonawanda police departments, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

The event was held at Central Police Services Training Center of the Erie County (N.Y.) Community College in Williamsville and featured eight scenarios to test the Explorers’ training, ability, fitness, and knowledge.

Teams of two faced the scenarios: Burglary in Progress; Domestic Intervention; Neighbor Dispute; Suspicious Person; Misdemeanor Traffic Stop; Felony Traffic Stop; DWI Traffic Stop; and a Super Scenario.

“The Super Scenario was a combination of a routine traffic stop which evolves into a felony traffic stop and building search,” Post Advisor Sgt. Brandon Deppen said.

“There were also individual events which included the Physical Fitness Exam, Oral Board Interview, and the New York State Civil Service Exam,” Deppen said.

The team of Derek Hanlin and Derick Nowacki took three firsts in scenarios: Suspicious Person; Felony Traffic Stop; and Unknown Traffic Stop. They also took second in the Super Scenario.

Gabe Hinton and Lucas Rizzardi took third place in the Super Scenario and fourth in Neighbor Dispute.

Amy Strain and Ashleigh Deppen finished second in Traffic Stop; and fourth in Suspicious Person and DWI Enforcement.

Bryce Cummings and Patrick Rizzardi brought home a third place in Building Search and a fourth in Felony Traffic Stop.

Jacob Nugent and Mark Reiff finished with a third in Building Search and fourth in Felony Traffic Stop.

In the individual events, Deppen and Strain finished first and second respectively in Women’s Physical Agility; Cummings and Reiff each took a first in their groups for Men’s Physical Agility; and Nugent finished fourth. The Warren post swept the top four places in the Oral Board Interviews with Patrick Rizzardi in first, Strain second, Nowacki third, and Hanlin fourth.